Cord take-up reel



presented oa.` 3o, i934,

israel-4 PATENT lorries UNITED STATE-s 2 Claims.

rlhis invention pertains to electrical appliances, and more particularly to an electric cord takeup for general usage, but particularly susceptible for use in connection with the cords of vacuum cleaners.

Considerable difficulty is experienced by housewives during the use of vacuum cleaners, in view of thefact that a long length of cord is necessary to reach from the outlet to the cleaner. This lll cord not only tends to kink, but also obstructs the movement oi the cleaner.

1t is therefore one of the primary objects oi my invention to provide a novel cord take-up reel, which can be detachably connected with a Wall or other support adjacent to the outlet,l and which will eectively function to automatically taire up any slack in the cord during the movement or the cleaner over a room.

.Another salient object of my invention is to provide novel means for constructing the cord taire-up, whereby the same will eiectively function under all conditions, and which is practically tool-proof, thereby 'rendering the saine particular-ly adaptable for'housevvork.

d further object oi nay invention is the provision of means for constructing the take-up reel so that the saine can oe readily and easily taken apart to permit replacement or" any worn'or brolien parte, such as the main take-up spring.

l further object oi my invention is the provision ci novel means of transmitting the current from the house outlet plug to the cord oi the vacuuni cleaner, whereby allcornplicated brushes and the like will be eliminated, and whereby the current is eectively conducted through the bearing ofthe reel itself.

A still further object ci my invention is toprovide an automatic cord take-up of the above ab character, which will be durable and eicient in use, one that will he simple and easy to manufacture, and one which can be placed upon the inarket atan exceptionally low cost.

With these and other objects in view, the in vention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more speciiically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:-

5@ Figure l is a side elevation ci my improved taire-up reel, showing the same attached to a wall bracket, the Wall bracket being shown in section.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of my improved cord take-up reel.

Figure 3 is a diametric section through the complete cord take-up, the view being taken on an enlmged scale.

Figure is an enlarged detail sectional view,

illustrating the constructionv of the novel bearing (Cl. iwf-367) for the drum, and also illustrating the current transmission means carried thereby.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally indicates my improved automatic electric cord take-up, which comprises a stationary casing 5 and a rotatable drum 15. rl`he casing 5 includes a cylindrical side wall 6 and a stationary end plate 7. This end plate 7 can be iornied on, or secured to,the wall 6 in any desired manner. Adjacent to the free edge of the side wall 6 the same is provided with an out-struck reinforcing and stop bead 8, against which is adapted to t the flange 9 of the removable end wall l0. This removable end wall l0 ,is provided with an enlarged axial bearing opening ll, for a purpose which will be later set forth. The end wall? can also be provided with an axial opening l2. The removable end wall l0 can be detachably secured to the side Wall 6 in any preierred manner.

Rigidly secured to the side wall 6 is a supportlng hook 14, the purpose of which will also be later set `forth. This hook can be connected to Y* the side wall in any desired manner, and if preferred the same can be carried by a reinforcing metallic strap, which can partially encircle the said side wall and thus act as a reinforcing therefor.

The rotatable reel or drum l5 is of novel construction, and the same includes an, annular body i6 rigidly connected with a disc-shaped end plate i7. The interior of the drum forms a housing for the main take-up spring 18. This spring is fitted against the end plate 17 and has its inner end anchored to a stationary supporting stub shaft 19. This stub shaft 19 is rigidly anchored to the side wall 7, and is held against turning movement thereby in any preferred manner. As shown, the shaft 19 carries a bearing 20, which is fitted within a bearing opening formed in the axial center oi the end plate i7.

Fitted within the drum l5 is a supporting plate 2l, and this plate is detachably held in position by the use oi fastening screws 22 and 23. fastening screw 23 is also employed for rigidly securing the outer end of the spring i8 to the reel. Consequently turning movement of the reel or drum in one direction is resisted by said spring. The plate 21 is provided with an axial bearing opening for receiving the inner end of the stub shaft 19, and this stub shaft can'carry a second bearing 24 for reception within a bearing sleeve 25. The bearing sleeve 25 is rigidly carried by the end plate 26 of the reel or drum. This end plate 26 is detachably connected with the body portion i6 of the drum so that access can be had to the interior of the drum when it is necessary to replace they spring. Any desired The IGS

means can be employed for detachably securing the vend plate 26 in place, and, as shown, the inner face of this plate 26 carries aV flange 27 which is adapted to be connected with the body 16 through the medium of relatively short, coarse threads. p l

From the description so far, it can be seen that the reel is freely supported by the stub shaft for rotation within the casing. Wound upon the reel or drum is the desired length of cord 26 for the vacum cleaner, or other electrical appliance. The outer end of the cord is fed through a transversely extending opening 13 formed in the cylindrical side wall 6 of the casing. The inner end of the cord is fed through the opening 27' formed in the body portion of the drum,.and through an opening 28 formed in the bearing sleeve 25.

The feed and return wires-29 and 30 of said cord are connected in a novel manner to an outlet plug,

as will be later set forth.

The sleeve s rigidly anchored to the axial center of the removable'end plate 260i the drum and opens outwardly through said end plate and threaded connecting shell 33. isV clearly shown in Figure 4, both ends ofl the shell 33 are provided with threads so that an ordinary electr/ic socket 34 can be threaded into. the outer end thereof. I Detachably anchored in the bearing s leeve 25 is a plugof insulation 35. This plug of insulation is connected by means of threads to an electric conducting 'metallic sleeve 36.l This sleeve 36 is4 in turn anchored to and carriesl theporcelain body 37 of the plug. The wire 30 extends through the porcelain' body 37 and is anchored to a conductor bolt 38, and this bolt 38 also supports an electrical conducting expansion spring 39. The wire 29 is vanchored to the metallic sleeve 36 through the medium of a screw40. By referring to Figure 4 of the drawing it can be seen that the conductor sleeve 36 rotatably supports v tlie contact shell 32, and thus the sleeve 36 is freely .rotatable within the shellandmakes electrical contact therewith. When the socket 34 is thread-l ed into the connector shell 33, this central contact engages the spring 39 while the connector shell 33 electrically contacts with the usual con- -ductor shell 34 of the socket 34.

In use of my improvedA device, as thecord 26' is fed off of the drum, the drum is turnedagainst the tension of the spring 18, as heretofore described, and the conductor sleeve 36 rotates within the shell 32. Due to the .construction of. the spring 39, the spring readily turns on the socket 34. l Consequently, electrical connection is assured with the contacts of the said socket. When tension is released on the cord 26', the spring functions to automatically take up the cord and rotate the drum in a retrograde d irection.

The connector shell 33 is preferably housed within a, sleeve 42 formed of'insulating material for safety purposes.

The cora 2s' isvadapted to be connected to the vacuum cleaner, or other electrical appliance, while the socket 34 is connected with the house outlet. Preferably a short length of electric cable is employed for this purpose (not shown), and the opposite ends of the cable can be provided respectively with suitable plug connections for fitting within the house, outlet and the socket 34.

To relieve the reel from strain, a w'all bracket 45 can be provided. ThisA wall bracket can be secured at a convenient point adjacent to the desired house outlet, and the same is provided with a socket 46 for receiving the hook 14 on the casing of the reel. To prevent accidental dieplacement of the hook 14 from this socket 46, the socket can be provided with an adjusting screw 47, which is adapted to be threaded into the lowerend of the hook.v

From theforegoing description, it-can be seen that I have provided an exceptionally simple and durable take-up reel for electric cords of various kinds of electric appliances.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is :-V

1. A take-up reel for electric cords comprising a casing, a spring-controlled drum rotatably mounted within the casing, an electric cord wound upon said drum and having its outer end disposed exteriorly of its casing and its inner endvv disposed interiorly ofthe drum, an electric tting carried by the axial center ofthe casing,

,said ttingincluding a stationary connector shell secured to the casing lfor the'reception of an electric socket, a conductor sleeve rotatably tted within the connector shell and having electrical contact therewith and rotatable with the reel, a

porcelain body secured to the conductor sleeve having an axially disposed spring contact for engaging the center contact of the socket fitted in the connector shell. the wires of said electric secured to the casing, anA electric contact shell non-rotatably secured to said insulator ring, a connector shell detachably tted on the contact `shell and having electrical contact therewith, an

electric socketl threaded into said connecting shell having a center contact and a side connector shell electrically engaging the iirst-mentionedv con4 nector shell, an insulator body carried by the 'axial center of said drum and rotatable therewith,.a conducting sleeve tted upon the insulator body and rotatably mounted withinthe. contact shell and having electric contact therewith, a resilient electrical 4contact carried bythe insulater body andengaging the center contact of A the socket,-the feed and return wires of the inner end of said cord being electrically connected re- 'Y A'spectively to the resilient contact of the insulator and tosaid conductor sleeve.

HERMAN c. 

